5 Things That May Be Sabotaging Your Private Practice

This “Listicle” (Yes, that's a real word!) is going to be hard to read and you aren't going to like how it makes you feel. Your stomach will hurt, your head will spin, and you will want to shut your computer and take to the bed.

Source: Carolina Heza/Unsplash

1. Procrastination parade: Maybe in 10 years when your kids are older and you have more time, then you will take tennis lessons. Maybe in 5 years, then you will cut back your hours. Maybe in 3 months, then you will take that vacation you've been dreaming about.

You’re continuing to convince yourself that time will just magically show up… and unless you do something and make some structural changes, you will continue to put off what’s important to you. Why 10 years? Why 5 years? Why 3 months? Just take a leap of faith and do the darn thing. Maybe it’s tennis. Maybe it’s an art class. Maybe it’s signing up for a course to help you reach your goals in your practice.

2. Olympian athlete at dodging the tough stuff: You don’t want to change up your schedule, and you avoid raising your fees like you avoided the grocery store during the pandemic. Those thoughts that you have that your clients will be upset or will terminate feel strong and believable.

Doing uncomfortable things is hard. I am not here to convince you that making change is easy. It is hard, you haven't done it (yet), and, of course, you will feel nervous and uncomfortable.

Are you making decisions based on fear or facts? What if you have been competing in the wrong event and need to start training for the gold medal in the Self-Care Extravaganza? (I can hear you groan; the cheezy-ness factor was high on this one!)

3. Dancing in the land of neglected needs: You love to read… but who are you kidding? When would you have the time or energy to do it? You have 25 clients a week, and lunch is a handful of nuts thrown into your mouth between clients. You've got to race home, get the kids to baseball and dance lessons, make dinner, get set back up on the computer to do your notes, and then do it all over again the next day. There’s no time for you or what you want to do.

Keep up at this dance and you will burn out. What happens if you burn out? You are no good to your clients, your family, or yourself. Scary but true fact: Burnt-out therapists run a higher risk of getting caught up in a malpractice suit,¹ and I know that you don't want any part of that!

4. Putting yourself on sale like the clearance rack at Marshalls: Your fee is $150….your client pauses when you state your fee, and you assume they have an issue with your fee... you quickly slide your fee down to $50. Sadly, you didn’t stick to your fee, and you didn’t check in with yourself to see if reducing your fee works for you, and now you feel resentful, overworked, and underpaid.

Your finances are not lining up, and it’s very stressful to run your practice with your fees all over the place (also very much like the clearance rack at Marshalls). You’re not making the salary you need to survive and thrive. You’ve put yourself on sale and know that doesn't work for you, and you are left frustrated and questioning if going into private practice was worth it.

5. Riding the rollercoaster of unpreparedness: Sick days? What are those? Vacation days—yeah. But with guilt and hustle to squeeze everyone into your already tight schedule. Summer slump=freaking out because all of your clients are at camp or on vacation or miraculously are "better" just because it's summer and your income is not what it is during the rest of the year.

“If you fail to plan….you’re planning to fail” –Benjamin Franklin. I’ll just leave you sitting on this for a moment. To burn out-proof your practice, you’ve got to put some structural guard rails of time and space into your practice. The only person who can give you time off is you. Wishing for it to happen naturally is not working.

​[Me offering you a ginger ale to settle your stomach and handing you the coziest blanket to snuggle under.]​​

Source: Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash

I don’t like that I made you feel sick, but I am not apologizing for it.

I want you to feel these uncomfortable feelings and make the decision to say no more!

​​I want you to call yourself to the table and realize you have choices (although hard and nuanced, don’t get me wrong) and don’t need to keep running yourself into the ground.

How would life be better for you if you were intentional in your practice, making sure you have more time, space, and financial stability?​

Here is your homework: Think of one change you are ready to make that will give you the time, freedom, and work-life balance that you long for.